Cable-coupling



2 sheets-heet 1.

(No Modem J. P, P. KUHLMANN.

SABLE CUPLING.

Patented Aug. 27, 1895.

JNYENIUH:

WITNEESIE No Modem 2 sheets-sheet 2,

J. P. E'. KUHLMANN.

No. 545,164. Patented Aug. 27, 189,5.

INYENTDH:

UNITED STATES PATENT Eric JOHN P. F. KUHLMANN, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CABLE-COUPLINC".

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,164, dated August 27, 1895.

Applicatiun tiled January ll, 1895. Serial No. 534,569. (No madelJ To all whom it? may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. F. KUHLMANN, of Seattle, in the county ot' King and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Oable-0ouplings5 and l hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, ret'- erence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for coupling cars to cables.

The object of the invention is to so construct the coupling-tongue and to connect the same with the cable that it may be elevated or depressed.

Still another object of the invention is to so construct the coupling-tongue and the coupling device on the car that the coupling of the cable with the car is effected on the downgrade end of the car.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the coupling-tongue and the coupling device that the tongue may be automatically elevated to engage the coupling device as the car moves into position and to be automatically depressed as the car leaves the tongue.

The invention consists in the combination, with a cable, of a frame attached to the cable and a couplingtongue pivotally secured in the frame.

The invention also consists in the peculiar coupling device carried by the car, in oombination with a cable and a coupling on the cable.

The invention still further consists in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as may hereinafter be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents alongitudinal sectional view, partly broken away, of one class of cable systems for use on which the coupling is adapted. Fig. 2 represents a cross-sec tional view ot the same, taken on a line a b, Fig. 1, showing one form of counterweight. Fig. 3 representsa longitudinal section of the cable-conduit and the coupling device on the car, the coupling-tongue on the cable being shown in combination. Fig. a represents a plan view of the coupling device on the car partially broken away, the head of the coupling-tongue being shown in section. Fig. 5

represents an end view of the same partially in section.

Similar numbers ot' reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

This improved cable-coupling is designed to be used on railway systems in which the weight of the car is overcome by means of a cable,in combination with asystem ot Weights or by other mechanism for driving the cable, the coupling being adapted to connect the car with the cable, so that the motion of the cable, however derived, may be imparted to the car to assist in driving the car up 'the iucline or to relieve the main driving mechanism of the Weight of the car in its travel down the incline.

In the drawings, 7 indicatesaconduit which has a central longitudinal slot 8.

In the conduit, at the upper and lower ends thereof, are located the sheaves or drums 9v and 10, suitably journaled and, if desired, connected with driving mechanism. In the system shown herein, however, the cable 1l, mounted on the sheaves and supported intermediate the same by smaller sheaves, is furnished with the counterweights l2, by means of which the weight of the car or a cert-ain proportion of the weight is sustained when the car is on the inclined portion of the rails O C.

Attached to the ends of the cable 1l is a framework 13, consisting of side plates separated by end blocks and secured together by bolts, to which the ends of the cable are secured. At the lower end of the frame is a stop 14:, and pivoted between the side plates, at the upper end, is the coupling-tongue 15, having at its free end the depending arm 16, furnished with the stop-linger 17', adapted to be intercepted by the stop la on the frame. Extending upward from the tongue is the coupling-arm 1S, having at its upper end the T-plate 19. The tongue 15 is therefore free to be swung on its pivot, being limited in its upward movement by the linger 17 coming in contact With the stop 14; of the tongue-frame, while its undue depression is prevented by the T-plate 19, extending across the slot 8.

On the ends of the car-truck is secured the cross-plate 20, provided at itsjcentral portion with the channel-bar 2l, closed at its upperA portion and open along its bottom and at both IOD ends, the outer end of this channel-bar being braced to the ends of the cross-plate 2O and to the sides of the truck by the fender-plates 22 22.

"Within the channel-bar 21 and to its sides are secured the upwardly -inclined guideplates 23 23, adapted to receive the T-plate 19 of the arm or head 18 and to guide the same upward. At the opposite end of the channel-bar is the downwardly-inclined plate 24, formed in part with the bar, which, as the coupling-head formed by the arm 18 and plate 19 passes, serves to depress the saine to a point where it will not interfere with the running-gear of the car. The sides of the channel-bar have the slots 25, 26, and 27, and to the side having the slots 26 and 27 is secured the bracket 28. In the slot 26 is piv- -oted the forward extension of the plate 29,

this plate having thelocking-bolt 30, extending through the slot 27, and a tapering end 29', working in the bracket 28.

Pivoted in the bracket 28 is the cam 3l,

. shaped so that when it is thrown inward it will press on the tapering end 29 of the plate 29 and hold the same and the bolt 30 in the locked position, but when thrown outward will permit the plate 29 to swing in the same direction to withdraw the bolt 30 sufficiently to open the passage in the channel-bar. To the arm 3l of the cam is pivoted the rod 32,

the outer end of which is pivoted to the swinging arm 33, to which the operating-handle 34 is pivoted, this handle being ymounted to move in a guide and being so located as to be operated from the side of the car.

Pivoted in the slot 25 is thelooking-jaw 35, having an inclined forward edge within the channel-bar and a straight locking-surface at right angles to which, at the outside of the channel-bar, extends the arm 36. To the free end of the arm is pivoted the plunger-rod 37, having an enlargement 37 and reciprocally mounted at its-outer end in the guide 38 secured to the cross-plate 20. On the rod, between the enlargement 37 and the guide 38, is a spring 39 which exerts an inward pressure on the rod 37 and through it on the free end of the arm 36. To the outer end of the rod 37 is secured a rope or other flexible connection 40 which is led over a pulley to a convenient position for operation.

When it is desired to couple a ear to the cable, the coupling-tongue being at the lower portion of the incline, the car is run over the coupling and past the same. The tongue is then thrown upward by any suitable mechanism sufficiently to engage the T-plate 19 of the coupling-head with the guides 23 when the ear is backed down. These guides raise the tongue as the car moves backward until the arm 18 of the coupling acts on the forward inclined edge of thelocking-jaw 35 and crowding the same outward against the pressure of the spring 39 passes by this jaw and comes in contact with the locking-bolt 30, on which the strain is exerted by the cable mechanism and the coupling-headto overcome the weight of the car. When the car reaches the level above the incline the connection 40 is drawn outward, thus withdrawing the locking-jaw 35 from within the channel-bar and leaving an open passage for the coupling-head as the car moves onward, the eoupling-head being left in a position where it must intercept a car approaching the inclineon the same track, the operation of engaging the coupling-head with the coupling device on the car being similar to that already described,`but on the forward end of the car. It being considered important to always couple the car on its downgrade end, when the descending car reaches the lower portion of the incline the handle 34 is drawn outward, the locking-bolt 30 being thus withdrawn, and the car moves onward over the coupling-head, which, by the downwardly-inclined guide 24, is depressed to a position where it will not interfere with the car attachments or with its running-gear.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a cable-couplin g, the combination with a cable and means for driving the same, of a coupling secured to the cable and a device carried at the down-grade end of the car with which the coupling may engage to resist the weight of the car. A 2. Inacable-coupling,theeombination with the cable, and aframe included in the length of the cable, of a coupling-tongue pivoted in the frame and having a T-shaped head.

3. Inacable-coupling,thecombinationwith a car, a channel-bar secured thereto having open ends and open on its lower surface, locking devices adapted to operate within the channel-bar, and means for actuating the lock-- ing-devices, of a cable, and a coupling-tongue mounted thereon and adapted to be engaged by the locking-devices.

4. ln a cable-coupling system, the combination with a car, a channelbar secured thereto and furnished with inclined guides, and locking-devices adapted to operate within the bar, of a cable, and atongue, pivotaily mounted on the cable, adapted to be elevated and depressed by the guides in turn and to be engaged by the locking-devices, as described.

5. The combination with the cable 11, and the frame 13 secured thereto, of the tongue 15 having the arm 16 furnished with the stop 17 and the arm 18 furnished with the plate 19.

6. The combination with a car-truck, the cross-plate 2O secured thereto, the channelbar 2l secured at its inner end to said plate, the fender-plates 22-22 connecting the outer end of the bar with the ends of the crossplate, said channel-bar having the slots 25, 26 and 27, the guides 23 and 24 at the opposite ends ot' the bar within the same, the bracket 28 secured to the bar, the plate 29, pivoted in the slot 26, having the locking-bolt 30 working through the slot 27 and the end IOO 29' movable in the bracket 28, the cam 3l a car-truck, a ohanne-bar lsecured thereto pivoted in said bracket and operating against and having slots and looking-bolts mounted the end of the plate 29, means for actuating to operate through said slots, of a cable and the earn, the jaw 35, pivoted in the slot 25, a coupling tongue mounted thereon and I5 5 extending Within the bar and having the arm adapted to be engaged bythe looking-devices.

36, and means, including aspring,for aotuat- In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my ing the free end of this arm in two directions, hand. of a cable, and a coupling-device carried there- JOHN P. F. KUHLMANN. .by and adapted to be engaged in said chau 1Witnesses:

o nei-bar. HENRY J. MILLER,

7. In aoab1e-ooup1ing,the co mbination with JOSEPH A. MILLER, J1'. 

